Council correspondence for staff and councillors to contact Richard Penn
Dear Croydon Borough Council,
Please provide copies of correspondence, such as emails or screengrabs from the council’s intranet, which show how the chief executive or other senior council officials enabled all councillors and staff to engage with Richard Penn of the Local Government Association in his investigation conducted in Dec 2020-Feb 2021, showing the contact details provided for Richard Penn.
Please note the 20-day time limit under the Freedom of Information Act for your response to these enquiries.
Yours faithfully,
S Downes
Information Team Croydon
Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House
7th Floor, Zone B
Croydon
CR0 1EA
Contact: Information Team
[Croydon Borough Council request email]
NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email. If
you have a processing request, please ensure you quote that reference in
your emails to us.
DEAR S Downes
Freedom of information request - FOI/6464
Subject: Council correspondence for staff and councillors to contact
Richard Penn
We are just emailing you to update you on your open Information Request.
We are currently in the process of updating our systems and part of this
update will mean that your open Information Request has been assigned a
new reference: FOI/6464
Thank you in advanced for your patients patience and whilst we will
continue top process your request. We will issue a response or update to
you as soon as we are able.
Unfortunately, the Council is currently experiencing a delay in our
response times due to demand and resource. As an organisation we are aware
of our legal duties under the legislation and are making every effort to
improve our position and respond to requests within our statutory
timeframes as quickly as possible. All requests are being monitored and
continually reviewed to provide you with an expected date for disclosure.
London Borough of Croydon takes its role as a Data Controller seriously
and would like to thank you for your continued patience and understanding
whilst we improve our service to you.
Kind Regard
Information Management Team
Croydon Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
7th Floor, Zone B
Bernard Weatherill House
8 Mint Walk
Croydon CR0 1EA
Information Team Croydon
Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House
7th Floor, Zone B
Croydon
CR0 1EA
Contact: Information Team
[Croydon Borough Council request email]
Dear S Downes
Request FOI/6464
Further to your request received on 09/11/2022, I confirm that the Council
has now considered your request under the Freedom of Information Act
2000. Specifically, you have requested the following information:
“Please provide copies of correspondence, such as emails or screengrabs
from the council’s intranet, which show how the chief executive or other
senior council officials enabled all councillors and staff to engage with
Richard Penn of the Local Government Association in his investigation
conducted in Dec 2020-Feb 2021, showing the contact details provided for
Richard Penn.”
The Council is able, to provide you with the following information.
Please find enclosed a copy of the relevant Intranet page that was first
published on 27 November 2020. This is accessible by all councillors and
officers. This was also referenced in the public sessions of the
Appointments Committee and Appointments and Disciplinary Committee on
[1]17 March 2021 and [2]9 November 2022.
You will note that a redaction has been made, in respect of the contact
email address for Mr. Penn.
Under section 40(2) of the FoIA a request for information which
constitutes the personal data of an individual other than the requester is
exempt if disclosure of the information to a member of the public would
breach any of the data protection principles set out in the UK General
Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).
Mr Penn’s email address constitutes his personal data, and therefore it is
necessary to consider whether disclosure of it would contravene any of the
data protection principles.
According to the first data protection principle, personal data must be
processed lawfully and fairly and in a transparent manner. There is also a
requirement for disclosure to be necessary in pursuance of legitimate
interests which are not overridden by the interests of others.
Assessing whether disclosure is fair involves considering the specific and
intended purpose of providing Mr Penn’s email address to officers and
councillors, reasonable expectations of privacy and confidence, the
possible consequences of disclosure and any legitimate interests being
pursued.
In that regard, it is important to remember that when information is
released under the FoIA, it is considered released to the wider public.
In all the circumstances, it is considered that it is not necessary to
disclose Mr Penn’s email address because the legitimate interests of
transparency and accountability have already been met by disclosing the
substantive content of the email requested and/or are overridden by Penn’s
interests.
The Council further considers that disclosing Mr Penn’s email address
would not be fair or reasonable given the very specific circumstances and
intended use of the email address at that time.
This means that disclosing Mr Penn’s email address is absolutely exempt
under the FoIA.
If you are dissatisfied with the way the Council has handled your request
under the Freedom of Information Act you may ask for an internal review.
This should be submitted to us within 40 working days of this response.
You can do this by outlining the details of your complaint by:
Email: [Croydon Borough Council request email]
Writing: Information Team
London Borough of Croydon,
Bernard Weatherill House,
7th Floor - Zone B,
8 Mint Walk,
Croydon, CR0 1EA.
Any requests received after the 40 working day time limit will be
considered only at the discretion of the council.
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Information Commissioner’s Office,
Wycliffe House,
Water Lane,
Wilmslow.
Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
Yours sincerely
Information Team
Croydon Council
References
Visible links
1. https://democracy.croydon.gov.uk/documen...
2. https://democracy.croydon.gov.uk/ieListD...
Dear [email address],
Thank you for your response dated December 8, 2022.
The attachment you said would show the pay from the council's intranet was not attached.
Perhaps you can try again,
Yours sincerely,
S Downes
Information Team Croydon
Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House
7th Floor, Zone B
Croydon
CR0 1EA
Contact: Information Team
[Croydon Borough Council request email]
Dear S Downes
Request FOI/6464
Further to your request received on 09/11/2022, I confirm that the Council
has now considered your request under the Freedom of Information Act
2000. Specifically, you have requested the following information:
“Please provide copies of correspondence, such as emails or screengrabs
from the council’s intranet, which show how the chief executive or other
senior council officials enabled all councillors and staff to engage with
Richard Penn of the Local Government Association in his investigation
conducted in Dec 2020-Feb 2021, showing the contact details provided for
Richard Penn.”
The Council is able, to provide you with the following information.
Please find enclosed a copy of the relevant Intranet page that was first
published on 27 November 2020. This is accessible by all councillors and
officers. This was also referenced in the public sessions of the
Appointments Committee and Appointments and Disciplinary Committee on
[1]17 March 2021 and [2]9 November 2022.
You will note that a redaction has been made, in respect of the contact
email address for Mr. Penn.
Under section 40(2) of the FoIA a request for information which
constitutes the personal data of an individual other than the requester is
exempt if disclosure of the information to a member of the public would
breach any of the data protection principles set out in the UK General
Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).
Mr Penn’s email address constitutes his personal data, and therefore it is
necessary to consider whether disclosure of it would contravene any of the
data protection principles.
According to the first data protection principle, personal data must be
processed lawfully and fairly and in a transparent manner. There is also a
requirement for disclosure to be necessary in pursuance of legitimate
interests which are not overridden by the interests of others.
Assessing whether disclosure is fair involves considering the specific and
intended purpose of providing Mr Penn’s email address to officers and
councillors, reasonable expectations of privacy and confidence, the
possible consequences of disclosure and any legitimate interests being
pursued.
In that regard, it is important to remember that when information is
released under the FoIA, it is considered released to the wider public.
In all the circumstances, it is considered that it is not necessary to
disclose Mr Penn’s email address because the legitimate interests of
transparency and accountability have already been met by disclosing the
substantive content of the email requested and/or are overridden by Penn’s
interests.
The Council further considers that disclosing Mr Penn’s email address
would not be fair or reasonable given the very specific circumstances and
intended use of the email address at that time.
This means that disclosing Mr Penn’s email address is absolutely exempt
under the FoIA.
If you are dissatisfied with the way the Council has handled your request
under the Freedom of Information Act you may ask for an internal review.
This should be submitted to us within 40 working days of this response.
You can do this by outlining the details of your complaint by:
Email: [Croydon Borough Council request email]
Writing: Information Team
London Borough of Croydon,
Bernard Weatherill House,
7th Floor - Zone B,
8 Mint Walk,
Croydon, CR0 1EA.
Any requests received after the 40 working day time limit will be
considered only at the discretion of the council.
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Information Commissioner’s Office,
Wycliffe House,
Water Lane,
Wilmslow.
Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
Yours sincerely
Information Team
Croydon Council
References
Visible links
1. https://democracy.croydon.gov.uk/documen...
2. https://democracy.croydon.gov.uk/ieListD...
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